"Luck is the residue of design."

— Branch Rickey

After a good shot, you always hear a golfer say, "I'd rather be lucky than good." But chances are, the golfer is pretty good to begin with and it isn't merely luck.

It reminds me of Branch Rickey's quote, which I often use, because the baseball visionary knew that you had to plan ahead and put yourself in position to take advantage of the opportunity to get lucky.

And so, when Lorens Chan won the Hawai'i State Amateur championship at the Pearl Country Club last week, he wasn't lucky. He was also very good, running away to an eight-stroke victory, which could have been by a larger margin if the tournament hadn't been shortened to 54 holes because of rain.

The significance of the biggest victory of his young golfing career wasn't lost on Chan, a 14-year-old 'Iolani School freshman. He knew it secured him a spot on the 2009 Governor's Cup amateur team and an opportunity to play in the Sony Open in Hawai'i for the second straight year.

Playing in the Sony Open earlier this year is still his greatest thrill, says Chan. But winning the State Amateur "probably ranks in my top three," added Chan, who finished fourth in the event last year.

What's interesting is how Chan put himself in a position to win the first local major of the year and got a second chance to become the youngest player to make a cut in a PGA Tour event.

First, he had to ask his golf coach, Glenn Inouye, if it would be all right with him. Then he had to have his athletic director, Carl Schroers, write a letter to the Interscholastic League of Honolulu for permission because of its outside participation rule. A player cannot play in another tournament if there's a scheduled ILH event that week.

The ILH allowed Chan, the only one seeking a release, to play. None of the other ILH standouts, including David Fink, Chan's 'Iolani teammate, or Punahou's Bradley Shigezawa, Maryknoll's Alex Chu and Kamehameha's Alika Bell played in the State Amateur.

"We voted as a team not to play," said Punahou boys coach Casey Nakama. "There's no doubt in my mind that Bradley, who was a two-time low amateur in the (Hawai'i) Pearl Open, would have contended if he played. I wish he could have played."

But what really disappointed Nakama was the ILH scheduling a tournament during the same time as the State Amateur, a conflict that easily could have been avoided. "It's a big tournament with national implications and it's always scheduled at the same time of the year," Nakama said.

Chan won't have any scheduling conflict with the next local major, the 51st Mid-Pacific Open, April 17 to 19, three weeks before the state boys high school championship at Royal Ka'anapali, Maui. It didn't matter last year because Chan wasn't old enough to play high school golf and didn't need the ILH's permission. But there hasn't been a conflict with the Mid-Pac Open because it's run by Wes Wailehua, who also coaches Kamehameha Schools boys team. He sees to it that no ILH tournament is held that week to avoid a scheduling conflict. The same should be done in the future for the State Amateur.

As the youngest champion in the modern history (since 1964) of the Hawai'i Stroke Play Championship, Chan now sets his sights on being the youngest to win the Mid-Pac Open, an honor belonging to Tadd Fujikawa, who was 17 when he won it last year. Chan won't turn 15 until May 22. Don't think he's not thinking about it.

Nakama has nothing but praise for Chan, who's in Nike's elite national junior program, according to Jay Hinazumi, local Nike sales representative.

"That kid's terrific. He's the real thing," said Nakama. "He hits the ball as far as the others, but his short game is better than all the other young players. That's the big difference."

That and Chan having the awareness of mind to put himself in a position to win: luck is the residue of his design.

Chan knew what the ILH rule was but he really wanted to play in the State Amateur. He had planned on it, even if it meant asking for an exemption.

"So I had to write a letter to the athletic director of my school," said Chan after first getting permission from his golf coach. "After that, it had to go to the ILH committee for the final decision."

He doubted he'd get an OK from the ILH.

"I heard no one really ever gets an exemption. I was actually quite surprised I was able to get it," said Chan, who was given the go-ahead the week before he teed it up.

Wailehua was also surprised that Chan got the exemption.

"I'm glad he benefited from it," he said. "It's frustrating because I wanted in a big way for my kids to play but the ILH had this rule against outside participation."

Allowing Chan or any other high school player to compete in a major tournament cannot help but improve a golfer's skill, according to Inouye. That's why he didn't hesitate in letting Chan pursue the process to get an exemption to play in the State Amateur.

"He decided to play high school golf. He didn't have to. I'm glad he did because it will help to step up everybody's game," Inouye said. "He made a commitment to us for the whole season and this was just one tournament (he'd miss). I could understand his situation and I thought it was in his best interests in the long run."

Inouye added that the victory securing a spot in the Governor's Cup will now enable Chan to free up his tournament schedule so that he won't have to miss too many classes.

The rest, as they say, is golf history.

And the irony of it all?

The ILH tournament that conflicted with the Hawai'i State Amateur wasn't played. It got rained out.